Blogs

Monica Granfield

Posts By Monica Granfield

Posted: Thu, November 10, 2016 - 11:46:08

Three or four years ago I attended the UXPA conference. The theme was "We’re not there yet." After 26 years as an Interaction, UI, and UX designer, my first reaction was joy, at the validation that I wasn't alone in my perception of my role on a product. My next reaction was despair, that well, I am not alone in…

Posted: Tue, June 30, 2015 - 9:34:26

Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected. — Steve Jobs How do you build a common language with which to communicate design goals for a product and measure if the goals have been met? Organizations are moving faster than ever, leaving little time for long meetings, discussions, and explanations. Ideas, designs,…

Posted: Fri, January 09, 2015 - 4:17:41

Has anyone else wondered if UI design is becoming trendy and fashionable? Like hair, clothing, interiors, and architecture, are user interfaces succumbing to waves of industry trends, becoming period-based creations?Lately, as I move from one application to another, I have noticed how much applications are all beginning to look more and more alike. It feels very much like the look-alike…

Posted: Wed, November 12, 2014 - 2:57:45

Have you ever tried to coordinate a project, a group of people, their activities, and their progress? Or organize your thoughts or what needs to get done? What has been your most efficient tool? For me it's most often some form of a simple list. All kinds of systems to help individuals and organizations get organized and improve efficiency have…

Posted: Fri, July 11, 2014 - 9:36:16

Find the simple story in the product, and present it in an articulate and intelligent, persuasive way. —Bill Bernbach As I read this quote by the all time advertising great, Bill Bernbach, it occurred to me that simplifying and distilling a product story to persuasively and innovatively represent it in a product depends on a company’s brand and culture, and…

Posted: Thu, May 29, 2014 - 10:12:06

In the last five days I have clocked at least eight hours on three Fortune 100 consumer websites for tasks that should not take more than an hour combined. What made my poor experiences even more ironic is that these are companies in the service industry that pride themselves on innovation around the customer experience!This has left me scratching my…

Posted: Wed, April 02, 2014 - 9:41:12

UX has made great strides within the mainstream IT and software community. Hard work, education, and return on investment have all contributed to growth of the UX design discipline over the past 10 years. UX (with which I am bundling research) is now gaining traction and opening doors in a large variety of industries, from healthcare to robotics. New avenues…

Posted: Tue, February 11, 2014 - 1:20:39

Lately I have been giving a good deal of thought to consistency in presentation within the UI and how this affects the overall end user experience.I find that the online shopping experience is lacking something you get when you shop in a brick and mortar store. When you walk through a store, there is a psychical presence that differentiates departments,…

Posted: Mon, January 06, 2014 - 10:42:02

First impressions, they are subconscious and visceral. The first impressions can make or break a product and an experience. A product that visually appeals to someone will draw them in. The next step is to engage the user in an experience good enough to leave them feeling confident and keep them coming back for more. Each of these aspects of…

Posted: Tue, November 12, 2013 - 10:39:09

Digital pictures… they are fun to take and easy to share. With cameras built into our phones we can snap photos at a moment’s notice! Even with a separate camera like a high-end SLR, we can rack up the shots we take. Years ago we kept all the photos we took in albums and shoe boxes. When we wanted to…